Broken Promises
by AssInASuit
Summary: Vanessa feels her attraction toward Warren getting stronger.
1. Prologue

Vanessa stood outside on the deck, watching the sunset. She heard footsteps behind her, but didn't turn around to see who it was.

"Warren." Vanessa tried to keep calm. It wasn't working very well. "What are you doing here?"

He didn't answer. Instead he joined the narcoblix at the wooden steps.

"I said," Vanessa growled, grabbing Warren's shirt collar. "_What are you doing here?_"

"Seeing what you're doing." Warren grinned weakly. "Now let go of me, please."

Vanessa released him, sighing. "Why do you care?"

"Because I love you," Warren teased, hugging Vanessa from behind.

"Get off me." Vanessa muttered.

"No. Why don't you ever act the way you feel about me?"

"Because…" Vanessa hesitated. He had a point there.

"Heh. I thought so."

"Oh, shut up."

They stood, silent, watching the sun dip beneath the horizon and the moon rising slowly into the darkening sky. Vanessa turned, facing Warren. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer.

"Love you."

"Love you too, 'Nessa."


	2. Chapter 1

Warren held Vanessa close to his chest, watching the stars. They were sitting on the roof, out of view of Seth in the attic. He had been trying to spy on them recently.

"I-i-it's getting late," Vanessa yawned.

"Want me to bring you back down? I'm going to go back up here for a few more minutes after, though." Warren asked.

"Sure."

Warren lifted Vanessa up. "Geez, you're heavy."

"Sor-_ry_."

He slid down from the part of the roof they were sitting on, then leapt from the overhang he landed on. Vanessa was already half-asleep. Warren turned the doorknob to the house slowly, and when he entered, he made sure to keep quiet as he continued up the stairs. When he had gone into Vanessa's room and laid her on the bed, he muttered, "Sleep tight…", then left.

As the door shut, Vanessa fell asleep, old memories slipping into her mind.

_Warren had just entered the room, and he looked somewhat disappointed. Vanessa looked up from her book to see what he was doing._

"_Vanessa," he said simply. "You have to go back in the Quiet Box. Just for the time being. I'm sorry, but…"_

_His voice trailed off, and he blinked hard._

"_I-I get it." Vanessa stood, tears brimming in the corners of her eyes. "You're trying to lock me away so that you'll never have to see me again, aren't you? I'm right, aren't I?"_

_Warren looked as if _he _was about to cry. "Vanessa, I would never do that. You know I wouldn't."_

"_No, I don't! How do I know you aren't a traitor like I was?" Tears splashed onto the fuzzy blue carpet._

"_Vanessa…" Warren tried to reach out to hug her, but the narcoblix turned away, sniffling. "Please. I'm sorry. It's just temporary."_

"_Get away from me."_

_Warren seized her arms, pulling her closer. "We both know that I don't want to do this. Please, Vanessa. I-I'm really sorry."_

_Vanessa's head turned slightly. "Y-you mean it?"_

"_Yes. You'll come out soon. I promise."_

_Warren tilted her chin back with his fingers and kissed her forehead. _

"_Come on. Off to the Quiet Box, now." _

_He carried her off to the basement._

Then an even older memory slipped into her mind. Of her and Coulter.

"_You don't understand." Coulter's voice was leveled, and he was taking deep breaths. "I-I don't love you, but I'm…attracted to you. Even I don't understand this feeling."_

"_So you never loved me?" Vanessa scowled. "Then why'd you say it, you jackass?"_

"_It…well…just kind of…slipped out. I didn't mean it. I'm sorry, Vanessa."_

"_No you're not. You've been lying to me this whole time. I stayed with you because I thought you cared. I didn't love you either, bitch."_

"'_Nessa…I mean what I say. And I'm sorry. So sorry for betraying you, deserting you like this."_

"_Do you think I give a –"_

"_I'm sorry."_

"_Save your breath."  
"Really, 'Nessa. I'm sorry."_

"_Stop calling me 'Nessa!"_

"_Why should I?"_

_Vanessa took a deep breath. "It's over, Dixon. I'm not yours, and never was. I'm not going to fall for it. You've been playing me this whole time. Good riddance."_

"_Wait! Vanessa!"_

_But she had already left._

Vanessa sat up, sweating like mad. Her heart was racing in her chest, and her eyes were wide open. She lay back down again, sighing. She closed her eyes and dreamed of more old memories with her and Coulter…or new memories with Warren.

"_Oh, Vanessa, dearest!"_

_Vanessa hadn't noticed Coulter coming in until he called for her. _

"'_Nessa, where are youuuuu?" _

_The narcoblix didn't answer him. She sighed and curled up on the bed._

"_Oh, Vanessa!" Coulter stuck his head into Vanessa's room._

"_Go away," Vanessa wanted to say. _

The ugly memory was interrupted as someone shook Vanessa awake.

"You awake, 'Nessa?"

Vanessa blinked. It was Warren.

"Wha-wha-what?" Yawning, Vanessa looked up at her clock. 6:59.

"We're leaving," Warren answered. "Me, Seth, Kendra, Bracken and Trask. You, Mara, Tanu, Maddox, Stan, Dale and Ruth are staying here."  
"Where are you going?"  
"Just to go take a look at something in the woods. We'll be back before two thirty."

"Okay."

Vanessa sat up, kissing Warren before he left. Then she got up and changed into black jeans and plain white t-shirt, not feeling like wearing fancy attire. After all, they were just staying home, weren't they? She got up and went into the kitchen. Everybody was already there, besides Warren, Seth, Kendra, Bracken and Trask, who had just left.

"Howdy, y'all." she said, yawning.

Dale handed her a mug of hot chocolate, and she sat down, sipping it carefully.

"Warren didn't give me exact details on where they were going. What part of the woods?"

The others looked at each other. Stan cleared his throat, but the awkward silence remained.

"Grunhold," Mara said finally. Her eyes were red, and Vanessa assumed Trask, who had become Mara's boyfriend recently, had woken her earlier and told her the news.

"Grunhold? The centaurs' property?"

"Y-yes," Mara sniffled. "I know, it's dangerous, I tried to talk Trask out of it, but he insisted. Stubborn little prat."

Vanessa sighed. As if she didn't already have enough stress on her hands.


End file.
